Justice Is Blind

Would having a stinking fall-down drunken judge reduce your respect for the law? Those fuddy-duddies in Louisiana seem to think so:

District Judge Monty L. Doggett issued arrest warrants when he was too drunk to read them, was sometimes so intoxicated that court had to be canceled and once had to be carried out of his courtroom by deputies, the Louisiana Supreme Court said in its unanimous ruling Tuesday.

“Although we feel compassion for Judge Doggett’s struggle to maintain sobriety, we must, first and foremost, consider the grave implications which this misconduct casts upon the judiciary,” the court said.

Doggett was suspended with pay by the high court in 2002 stemming from a complaint. The Judiciary Commission of Louisiana later recommended his removal, and the high court removed him Tuesday.

Doggett claimed that since he was re-elected after his alcoholism was made public, his constituents were aware of his problem and did not care.

But the high court said a judge can be disciplined for violating the code of office, “even if his constituency condones such behavior.” [AP]

Seems the high court takes that “sober as a judge” nonsense rather seriously.

About Eric Olsen

Career media professional and serial entrepreneur Eric Olsen flung himself into the paranormal world in 2012, creating the America's Most Haunted brand and co-authoring the award-winning America's Most Haunted book, published by Berkley/Penguin in Sept, 2014.Olsen is co-host of the nationally syndicated broadcast and Internet radio talk show After Hours AM; his entertaining and informative America's Most Haunted website and social media outlets are must-reads: [email protected], Facebook.com/amhaunted, Pinterest America's Most Haunted.Olsen is also guitarist/singer for popular and wildly eclectic Cleveland cover band The Props.